Chicago police phasing out physical lineups

CHICAGO — The days of lining up suspects so witnesses and victims can have a look at them may be numbered in Chicago.

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By The Associated Press

The State Journal-Register

By The Associated Press

Posted May. 5, 2014 at 8:03 AM

By The Associated Press

Posted May. 5, 2014 at 8:03 AM

CHICAGO — The days of lining up suspects so witnesses and victims can have a look at them may be numbered in Chicago.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports the department is reducing its reliance on the physical lineups.

The decades-old staple of police work and Hollywood television shows has already been abandoned by other big departments such as those in New York and Los Angeles.

Chicago Police are following the lead of other departments across the country that instead ask witnesses to identify suspects by looking at photographs. The practice is less expensive and time consuming.

Under the Chicago pilot program launched last November — and since expanded — if witnesses do identify a suspect, detectives can still hold a lineup.